11/15/10
Remember we had just heard Paul’s perspective that it doesn’t really matter what happens to him. If he is killed he will be with Christ and if he stays alive it is because God has more for him to accomplish here on Earth.
He is able to have joy in the midst of all circumstances because his focus is on sharing the Good News of Jesus.
He has decided that God is the author of his circumstances and therefore will give him opportunities to talk about Jesus and his own salvation to whoever God puts in his path.
Because Paul understands fear and temptation he goes on to encourage the Philippian church.
Read Phil 1:27-30.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”
What is conduct worthy of the Gospel?
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, rose again and because of that we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So not only do we have the desire to be worthy but we have the ability and power to act in a manner worthy of the Gospel.
What manner does Paul refer to?
I. We are to be Brave in the face of opposition.
Take a stand with family and friends
In workplace
In neighborhood
~Sometimes we are so quick to be considered peace makers that we don’t stand for righteousness (right living)
~We are so hesitant to offend that we don’t take opportunities to stand for God.
Watch what happens with your children when you teach them about Jesus and they accept with the faith of a child, how evangelistic they are. They have no filter. They want to make sure that everyone they love gets to know Jesus and go to heaven. One of the first questions they will ask you is, does that person know Jesus and if they find out they don’t they will tell them about Jesus time after time after time.
This happened in my family. My children shared Christ so many times with their grandmother I had to tell them to stop. But they had no filters, they needed to share. We learn to soft peddle or not peddle at all.
We tell ourselves that is wisdom or sensitive to hold back, but is it really?
If we are really honest with ourselves….what holds us back?
Paul didn’t’ seem to care who he offended. He just wanted to get the word out that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and that no one gets to the Father except through Him.
Paul was brave. And we need to be brave in the face of opposition.
The second way we can conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel:
II. Be Ready to Suffer for your Faith:
Verse 29 says that it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ that we not only believe in Him, but that we also suffer for him.”
How many of us when we accepted that Jesus was our Savior thought oh good, now I get to suffer for Him?
We should have. Let’s take a look at Mark 8:34-38. Turn with me there.
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Negatively, one must deny himself decisively saying no to selfish interests and earthly securities. Self-denial is not to deny one’s personality, to die as a martyr, or to deny “things” (as in asceticism). Rather it is the denial of “self,” turning away from the idolatry of self-centeredness and every attempt to orient one’s life by the dictates of self-interest. Self-denial, however, is only the negative side of the picture and is not done for its own sake alone.
Positively, one must take up his cross, decisively (saying yes to God’s will and way.
“to take up one’s cross” was to demonstrate publicly one’s submission/obedience to the authority against which he had previously rebelled.
Jesus’ submission to God’s will is the proper response to God’s claims over self’s claims. For Him it meant death on the cross. Those who follow Him must take up their (not His) cross, whatever comes to them in God’s will as a follower of Jesus. This does not mean suffering as He did or being crucified as He was. Nor does it mean stoically bearing life’s troubles. Rather, it is obedience to God’s will as revealed in His Word, accepting the consequences without reservations for Jesus’ sake and the gospel. For some this includes physical suffering and even death.
In Jesus’ words, Follow Me, “follow” is a present imperative: “(So) let him keep following Me” (daily). Saying no to self and yes to God is to continue all through one’s life.
8:35. Verses 35-38 One who decides to maintain a self-centered life in this world by refusing Jesus’ requirements (Mark 8:34) will ultimately lose his life to eternal ruin. Conversely a person who will “lose” (give over, “deny himself”) his life (even literally, if necessary) in loyalty to Jesus and the gospel (cf. 10:29) by accepting His requirements (8:34) will actually preserve it forever. As a follower of Jesus, he is heir to eternal life forever with God.
I would think not too many realized that part of saving grace includes suffering.
That is not a popular idea in the year 2010. We weren’t raised to embrace suffering and I can imagine we aren’t raising our children to embrace it either. And yet that is what we are called to do.
So my question is this: In what ways do you suffer for Christ?
~When you tell the truth when it would be easier to lie
~When you die to the right to be right and extend forgiveness
~When you die to your pride and apologize for a wrong done
~When you include someone in your life that you would rather avoid
~When you decide to quit your job because God is calling you to stay home and lose a comfortable life style and work you loved
~When you stand for truth and are shunned because of your beliefs
~When you give away your time, your money, your talent and your life to live as He requires
~When you put yourself in an uncomfortable position just so you can get to know someone different than yourself so you can share the gospel
~When you stay in an unhappy marriage and look to see what you can do to improve it.
~When you tell your friend the truth and risk losing the friendship
Some day, our suffering may become more early church suffering. Persecution, jail, even death. Did you know that there are more Christians that have died for their faith in this century than in any of the previous time periods? 160,000 this past year died for their faith.
There is a persecuted church out there. Not us, not yet. But we need to be prepared to suffer and we need to prepare our children to suffer as well.
The most important weapon we have against the enemy is the consistent life of the believer. (repeat)
Because living this extraordinary life is challenging, God never meant for us to live it in isolation. He knew we would need the support of other believers.
In Chapter 2:1-2 Paul shares some of the benefits of being United in Christ.
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
The word if here can be translated to mean since. It is not in question form. It is a statement. It can be read, since you have encouragement from being you united with Christ, since you have comfort from his love, since you have fellowship with the Spirit, and since you have been given tenderness and compassion….
It has already happened if you are a believer and follower of Christ.
The benefits of being One with Christ:
I. Encouragement~ we are to encourage and be encouraged
II. Comfort ~ because we have received the Holy Spirit we will be comforted and we will have been given the ability to comfort others.
III. Fellowship with the Spirit ~it is because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we are able to exhibit the tenderness and compassion to others.
This is a passion of mine, to help others see their roles in extending the love and compassion of Christ. To get our eyes off ourselves so that we can see the needs of others and look for ways to meet those needs.
This is a high calling and tremendous witness. I spoke earlier of a consistent life lived before the world and the impact it can have.
The final benefit of Being United in Christ is that:
IV. We will be one in Spirit and Purpose
It is because of this unity that we are able to get to the next verses:
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
There was a self-centeredness in the church at Philippi that needed to be addressed. They were experiencing some problems between 2 women and people were taking sides. He needed to confront the problem head on.
Attitude is the key (2:2–4). This is perhaps Scripture’s clearest portrait of the “humility” called for in the Gospel.
What is humility?
The definition that I like best:
Humility is not thinking lowly of yourself, it is not thinking of yourself at all.
It is not a weak man’s surrender, but a strong man’s rejection of selfishness
What is the opposite of humility?
Pride.
How do you tell if you are humble? If you think you are humble then doesn’t that mean that you are really proud because you are taking pride in your humility?
As well as humility not being a weak man’s surrender but a strong man’s rejection of selfishness; it is also a determination to be actively concerned with the needs and interests of others.
One of the commentaries I read said that preoccupation with oneself is sin.
I need to say this again:
This is a passion of mine, to help others see their roles in extending the love and compassion of Christ. To get our eyes off ourselves so that we can see the needs of others and look for ways to meet those needs.
I think it is interesting that the next verses that Paul uses to encourage us in the issue of humility are pointing to Christ as our example.
I think he discovered something in human nature. One of the ways we avoid looking at our sin or lack is to compare ourselves with others less “worthy” and we come out looking ok, better than most. Paul (God) isn’t willing that we fall into that trap of comparison unless we are willing to compare ourselves with Jesus.
And who wants to do THAT??
Philippians 2:5–11 (NIV)
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (a death reserved for non-Roman criminals of the worst kind)
Jesus was willing to be a servant and make himself nothing.
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
In conclusion:
This life isn’t about you.
It isn’t about making you happy.
It isn’t about having your needs met.
It isn’t about your plans or your comfort.
It is about service, suffering and consistent holiness with the hope that we can lead others to Christ and be an example to a dark world.
This is not our home. Our home is in heaven and that is where we will be rewarded for the things done in this body.
Be Brave
Be Consistent
Be Ready to Suffer
Be Humble
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